We know that the OnePlus 9RT and the OnePlus Buds Z2 are getting their official unveiling on October 13, and as that date draws closer, we've got a mix of confirmed details and unconfirmed leaks to share before the big day.
OnePlus has confirmed (via GSMArena) that the OnePlus 9RT will indeed run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, as expected. We also now know it'll have top-end LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 internal flash storage, as well as a 120Hz display. The 4,500mAh battery will charge at a maximum of 65W.
Another couple of officially confirmed tidbits for you: there will be two or three color options with this phone, depending on region, and sales will start on October 19. At this stage it looks unlikely that the phone will go on sale anywhere outside of China and India.
[1/3] OP9RT5GStorage and RAM variants by region:In China:- Hacker Black: 8/128, 8/256, 12/256- Nano Silver: 8/128, 8/256, 12/256- Teal: 12/256In India:- Hacker Black: 8/128, 12/256- Nano Silver: 8/128, 12/256Android 11Qualcomm SM8350OLED w/ VRROctober 9, 2021
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Noise cancelling buds
Tipster Evan Blass has weighed in to say that 8GB and 12GB of RAM configurations will be available, with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. Blass also predicts a triple lens 50MP+16MP+2MP rear camera, and says that the available colors will be black or silver (with an extra teal option in China).
Then there are the OnePlus Buds Z2, which may be available more widely than the OnePlus 9RT. OnePlus has now gone on record (via GSMArena) as saying they will offer 40dB of noise reduction to help block out the outside world.
We've also got shots of the packaging for the wireless earbuds, courtesy again of Evan Blass, so there's not much left for OnePlus to announce when Wednesday rolls around – but we will of course keep you updated with all the news as it breaks.
Analysis: OnePlus is finding its feet again
It's been a busy year or two for OnePlus, with co-founder Carl Pei quitting the company and a merger with Oppo to contend with. Add in a global pandemic and chip shortage and it's understandable that the traditional OnePlus device release schedule has been moved around from what we'd normally expect.
Most significantly, there's no OnePlus 9T: we usually see a T series refresh later in the year, but OnePlus canceled the phone and didn't give a definitive reason why – we've just listed a few, but no one knows for sure why the phone didn't ever arrive.
With the imminent launch of the OnePlus 9RT, the follow-up to the OnePlus 9R, we know that OnePlus is at least committed to more phones for the Indian and Chinese markets. It would seem the rest of us are going to have to wait for the OnePlus 10.
We're hoping that OnePlus is able to get back on course with a regular and predictable release schedule in 2022, because it's one of the best at launching well-specced phones at affordable price points – and we've not even mentioned the value-for-money OnePlus Nord series.
